Tea farmers urged to embrace value addition

Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya when he toured Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory in Murang’a County. He urged tea farmers to venture into value addition. [Boniface Gikandi, Standard]

Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has urged stakeholders in the tea sector to engage in value addition to increase their earnings.

He said Kenya’s tea continues to fetch low prices at the international market because it is sold in its raw form for blending with other inferior brands.

“The Government will support local industries to venture in value addition processes as a strategy to increase earnings to the producers,” said Mr Munya.

He spoke at Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory in Murang’a County at the weekend when he presided over the graduation of 160 tea growers after completing a one-year training programme on quality tea farming.

He said Sri Lanka, which produces less than Kenya, increased its earnings from the crop by more than 40 per cent after embracing value addition.

The CS said Kanyenya-ini Tea Factory is among those earmarked to get government support to venture into value addition.

He said the ministry is also keen on reviving the Kenya Coffee Planters Cooperative Union and Kenya Farmers Association.